The Prince and the Peasant
by LIFE the RANGER
Summary: Nico is the prince of Grandor, something of which he both loves and hates. For eighteen years, he never had to worry about much. But with his father retiring, the king decides his son needs to get married. He gives Nico until the summer solstice, one week, to find someone to court and marry. Nico would, but he doesn't like girls. Rated T. Second entry for the Nicercy summer contest
1. Chapter 1-First Anual Summer Gala

So, this is the first story idea that got submitted. I'm creating the first chapter for each idea, and this will be the second one I've created. Let's see which idea wins.

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Nico's POV

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I slouched in my throne, waving my scepter around like I could actually make my anxious father disappear. He continued to pace in front of the grand throne room window, showing us a great view of the training grounds and the lands beyond the castle walls. My sister, Hazel, sat up straight in her throne, following our father with her eyes. She might've been older, but it was I who would take our father's throne when he retired this winter. Father was giving me a speech about how a proper price would've been long married by now. But I tuned him out. I'd gotten good at it over the years. I continued to wave my scepter, wishing, not for the first time, it would make my father pause in his persistent rambling. But alas, to no avail. The scepter had been a gift from my mother for my eighteenth birthday this spring. It was gold all over, and shaped like a claw grabbing at the purple orb on top. It was a rather gruesome gift for a prince to have. But I wasn't the typical prince.

"Nico, have you heard a word I said?" father asked me, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I know you have an unusually small attention span, but you must pay attention. The kingdom is in an uproar over your lifestyle."

"What's wrong with it?" I question, resting my hand on the pommel of my decorative sword strapped to my waist. It might have originally been only for show, but I'd perfected the art of swordsmanship with it. I was the best dueling prince for kingdoms around, a fact to appreciate. "I certainly don't see a problem with it," I commented lightly. "After all, what's wrong with a prince that can hold his own?"

"It's not that," Hazel spoke up. I jerked to look at her. "It's because they do not want an unwed prince taking control. They need a queen. A female leader as well as a male. You're of age. Now all you need is a bride." I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Being married held no real appeal to me, especially marrying a female, as all good little princes did. Girls held no appeal either.

"I do not see why that is such a big deal," I huffed, folding my arms over my chest. The orb on my scepter began to glow purple, and dad shifted nervously. Whenever I was really irritated or frustrated, the orb tapped into the feeling and glowed. We still weren't sure why. "Father has been ruling without mother," I pointed out. Hazel's expression soured and father flinched. I felt a little bad about saying it, but was the truth. Mother died in April from cancer, not something easily forgotten.

"That is why I'm retiring," father said. "I am old. It is time Grandor got a youthful king again. That is why a wedding is important, Nico. You have to appease the kingdom. Tomorrow, we're throwing a gala. I've invited several kingdoms over. Nico, you have until the summer solstice to find your bride and marry her." I sprang up from my throne.

"But that's only a week!" I exclaimed. "This isn't fair! How am I supposed to find the person I love in only one week." But I had a sinking in feeling in the pit of my stomach. Father couldn't know, could he? Was that why he was giving me the impossible task? Was he trying to call my bluff?

"It can be done and you will do it," father said bitterly. "You've been putting it off for four years. Now, you have a deadline. If you aren't married by then, Nico, I'm sorry, but Hazel will take my place rather than you."

"You can't do that!" I exploded. "There's never been a queen in charge of Grandor before. If the common folk don't want an unwed prince they certainly won't want an unwed princess. No offense Hazel." My sister shrugged. I don't think she was interested in being queen anyway. Not in Grandor. She wanted to leave our kingdom to move in with Prince Jason of Ridgeway. "Fine, I'll court someone," I said, snatching up my scepter. "And I will get married, but the summer solstice." I stormed up to my room and slammed the great oaken doors shut. I set my scepter in its glass case and went out to sit on my balcony. I couldn't believe father was making me do this. Mother would've never accepted his behavior. Not for the first time, I missed her. I wished she was here. She was the only one how could seem to calm him down.

"Nico?" I twisted around and found my sister studying me. I turned back to stare out at the expansive woods behind the castle. The woods mother would take us to for picnics and fishing when we were small. "When are you going to tell father you don't like females?" she asked, removing her tiara. Without it, she could pass for a common folk. It was I who stuck out like a sore thumb. No one else in the kingdom had my pale complexion and dark hair. Hazel was fair skinned, with cinnamon toast colored hair. I removed my crown and set it off the side, then removed my blood red cape. I'd been wearing them for the supposed meeting today, but the only thing father talked about was how I needed to get married in a week.

"Soon Hazel," I promised. "I suppose I'll have to tell him. When I refuse to marry a woman, that'll be a dead give away. I wish he'd understand why I refused to marry before…" I trailed off and stared at my crown. If Grandor had never had an unwed prince, they must've never had a gay one either. I wasn't keen to find out how they'd react. "Well, I'll just have to forget my feelings and bed down with a...lovely lady." I got the last two words out with difficulty. "Hazel, I hate the idea," I said, turning to her. "I don't want to be someone I'm not."

"That's part of being king," she said. "You've got to do things you don't want to do. And that means hiding your true feelings." I sighed and kicked my cape away. Stupid feelings. Why did I have to a gay prince?

…

I studied my reflection in the mirror, and scowled. I had on my best outfit, a silk black suit with a red tie. I short black cape hung off my left shoulder, and I had my crown on. I looked like royalty. Sometimes I wondered how it would feel to be a peasant. They would seem to be more open to who I really was. At least I wouldn't be ruling them. I grabbed the short cane father had sent up to my room and made my way down to the ball room. Father's summer gala was already in full swing. Hazel was to come half an hour before me, and when I opened the ballroom doors, I spotted her. She was busy talking to Jason, the blonde haired, twenty-year-old from the kingdom over. Jason was handsome, but he was hers, so I wasn't going to interrupt. I carried my cane like a staff as I maneuvered around people. I saw lots of people I recognized, including princesses.

I stood beside the refreshment table and gazed at the assortment of snacks and drinks. Father certainly paid no expense setting our summer gala up. I gazed around. Streamers were wrapped around the great marble columns, and a banner hung on the far wall. Welcome to the first annual summer gala. I smirked. Father really had outdone himself with this little gathering. I leaned against my cane and quietly observed the guests. Several kings held hands with their wives, making idle chit chat with each other. Father floated between groups, playing the proper host. His short purple cape billowed out behind him as he swept away. A group of princesses, instantly recognized with their assortment of gold and silver tiaras, stood off to the side, whispering and looking in my direction. I nodded at them, then watched a couple young princes chase each other around the adults. They couldn't have been more than ten, and they looked like twins. They raced by in matching gray suits, little gold crowns pinned to their curly hair. I couldn't help but smile. Kids were so cute. Suddenly, someone stumbled into me. I glanced over my shoulder at the offending newcomer.

"I am so sorry!" the newcomer gasped. I turned around fully to get a look at him. He had a shock of dark hair and intense sea-green eyes. He moved like he wasn't supposed to be here, but since only royalty got in, he had nothing to fear. "Prince Nico." he asked faintly. I gave him a thin smile.

"As I live and breathe," I replied. I extended a hand. "I don't believe I have the pleasure of knowing you," I added. The newcomer broke out in sweat.

"Prince Percy of Nanuk," he responded. "It's a small kingdom toward the end of our territory." I scrunched up my face, trying to remember if I had heard of Nanuk before. It didn't sound familiar to me. I knew a lot of the smaller kingdoms in our territory, but not that one. "And believe me," Percy continued. "The pleasure is all mine." I laughed.

"I like you," I decided. "Where's your crown?" Even at events like this, all princes wore crowns decorated to the specifics of their kingdom. Mine had red rubies around it, as we mined our territory's rubies in the mines closest to the castle. Percy patted his head and his eyes got wider than small dinner plates.

"M...my crown?" he stammered. "Excellent question. I actually didn't bring it tonight. I forgot to put it on before I left." I shrugged. His story was logical. I certainly couldn't find fault in it. He appeared to mentally patting himself on the back. I smiled again. Percy was awfully adorable. "Say, you just turned eighteen, right?" Percy asked me. I nodded. "Cool. Married?" At that, I made a sour face. "No," Percy said for me.

"How old are you?" I asked him. "You don't seem that old. You've got the youthful look yet."

"I'm not that old yet," Percy said with a smile. "I'm fifteen. I'll turn sixteen in August." I laughed and shook my head.

"Practically a baby," I joked. "I think you're not married either?" Percy made a sour face of his own. "Nope," I said in delight. I believe this is the most fun I've had at one of father's events. "An old fart like me should be married long by now. I guess I just haven't met that special someone yet…" I stopped, gauging his reaction. About a hundred emotions filtered across his face. Then he reached out and squeezed my upper arm, giving me a confident smile.

"You'll find her," he said. I shuddered. It better not have been a her. I could not be happy with a female. "What?" Percy asked, tilting his head to the side. I pulled him up the stairs and into my room. I slammed the doors behind us and turned to face him. He gazed around my large room in awe. "I don't have a room this big back home," he said, almost a little wistfully.

"Really?" I asked. "But that isn't the reason I pulled you back here." I kicked off my boots and sat down on my be. "Come, sit," I invited. Percy hesitated, but then he sat down beside me, turning to sit sideways on the bed. One foot still dangled over the side, and he swung it back and forth like a little kid. "Alright, even though I just met you, I trust you. I don't like girls. I...I'm gay." I closed my eyes and waited for Percy's reaction. He stayed silent for so long, I thought he'd left.

"Neat," he said. "I've never met another gay prince before." My eyes flew open at that.

"You're gay?" I asked him in disbelief. It seemed too good to be true. Good looking, funny, and gay? Percy was everything I wanted in a guy. He would make a good queen for the kingdom… Stop, I scolded myself. Father would hang you if he found out. The clock tower in the east corner of the yard began to chime, meaning it was eleven. There was a tradition at Castle Grandor. You had to kiss your future spouse at eleven. "Percy, trust me right now, okay?" I pleaded.

"Okay, but…" he began, but I cut him off by pulling him close to me and kissing him. It was short and rough, and afterwards I shoved him away. I'm sure I looked as stunned as him, but I was smiling a little.

"You'd better get going," I warned him. "It is late. Father will be looking for me." Percy gave me a dismayed look. "We can meet up again," I promised. "Can you meet me here tomorrow? You can drop by for brunch." Percy smiled.

"I'd like that," Percy said as I snuck him out to the balcony. I dropped the rope ladder and watched until he safely reached the ground. I then rolled the ladder up, stored it away, and changed into bed clothes. I sat down on the edge of my bed just as father came in. He looked around.

"Hello Nico," he said, unpinning his cape and draping it over his arm. "Did you have fun tonight? Meet anyone special." I smoothed my nightgown down and grinned at him.

"As a matter of fact I did," I replied. "Her name is Perci with an I at the end. How neat? Oh, we talked for hours. It was amazing." I flopped back onto my bed and grinned. There was one tiny lie in there, but the rest was true. I had had a good time with Percy. He had done what no one else had in a long time. He'd made me laugh. "Oh, by the way, I invited one of the other princes over for brunch tomorrow," I added. "I hope that's okay." Father gave me a tight lipped smile.

"Of course Nico," he said. "Night." He left, leaving me to my thoughts once more. Oh how adorable Percy was. He was a really down-to-earth young prince. I hoped he'd be comfortable under father's scrutiny tomorrow. Father always interrogated any new friends of mine. I stretched my arms over my head and smiled. I had my own little prince!

…

First chap of this one. I think I like this better than the first chap of the story where Percy gets pregnant. This is a tough decision!


	2. Chapter 2-Brunch and The Village

Honestly, I love both stories, and I want to continue to work on both stories. I'm glad I picked both. Picking only one was tearing me up inside.

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Nico's POV

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"What do you think Hazel?" I asked, studying myself in the mirror. I had an outfit in each hand, and was busy trying to decide what to wear to brunch today. Hazel had on a pale pink dress with short sleeves, and of course her tiara. I had on my bedclothes and crown, trying to figue our what went with it. Hazel huffed and shook her head. "Come on sis, I need some help. I've got a guest coming over in an hour, and I want to look nice."

"Won't father get suspicious?" she asked. "After all, you aren't known to get dressed up for lunch guests. Or brunch guests, in this case. Speaking of, who is the lucky prince to get invited over? Nico of Grandor isn't known for inviting over other princes." I turned and stuck my tongue out at my sister, then selected something. I disappeared behind my curtain and changed out of my bed clothes. I stepped back out and Hazel took in my appearance. "That is almost better than the outfit you wore last night," she commented. I looked down at my charcoal gray suit. I pinned my gold cufflinks to the cuffs and adjusted my crown, giving her a lopsided smile.

"I don't care," I said. "Father always said to look your best when you have company. I'm just being a good little prince." I unlocked my glass case and carefully removed my scepter, twirling it in my fingers. Father was always wary of my scepter and it's freaky powers, so on occasions like this, I made sure to have it with me. I smiled at Hazel. "Wish us luck," I said to her, moving to my balcony. It was a short drop, and I swung my legs over the edge. I always loved dropping from my balcony. I tucked myself tight and tumbled off the railing. I rolled when I landed, popping up and brushing the dirt off my shoulders. I picked my crown up and placed it carefully back on my head.

"That was amazing." I turned and smiled at Percy, who was coming up the walk way. He had on a black suit of his own, a short traveling cloak draped over his shoulders. "I never knew you could do that," he continued, coming across the grass to meet me. I moved a couple of paces and wrapped him in a hug.

"Not a lot of people do," I replied, releasing him. "It's something I've done for years. Even father is oblivious to it sometimes." I picked up my scepter and hefted it up, carrying it like a staff. "Shall we go in?" I asked, offering my arm. He slipped his arm in mine and smiled. I led him inside, and as I reached the dining room, I gently pried his fingers apart. He looked at me quizzically. "Father does not know of my sexual preferances yet. I would rather he not find out."

"Don't you have to get married in a week?" Percy inquired. "He's bound to find out then." I scrunched up my face and shook my head. I'd forgotten all about my upcoming wedding. I supposed it was time to find a nice female to bed down with. But the idea repulsed me. I didn't want to marry anyone if I wasn't going to be happy. And honestly, at this point, there was only one person that was going to make me happy.

"One day at a time, okay?" I said to him. I pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before opening the doors of the dining room. Father sat in his dining chair, a mini version of his throne. The table could seat eighty people at once, but we all ate at the far end. I led Percy over. Bianca was in her chair, a silver affair with a high back. I sat down in my gold chair and motioned for him to sit next to me. But first, he bowed to my father.

"It is lovely to meet you, King Hades," he said formally. "I'm Percy." Father's eyebrows rose ino his hair. Percy backed away sheepishly and sat down beside me. He had a wooden chair, as the rest of them wee simple affairs. He sat up as straight as he could. Apparently, he was very invested in making a good impression. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax Percy," I whispered, waving my scepter at my family. Father watched it uneasily, and Hazel studied Percy and myself. "It's okay. Just be yourself. They'll like you for you." His shoulders visibly relaxed. A few servants came in carrying plates of food. Among them was the teen that grew up in our castle. Octavian I think his name was. He looked as lot like a smaller Prince Jason. Father was giving him work until he came of age, then he would go off and work in the farmlands. Octavian met my gaze and gave me a brief nod as he served us brunch. We were having lobster today. Percy turned a sickly shade of green. "You okay?" I asked him.

"I can't eat sea animals," he said, shoving his plate away. Even the smell, the tanalizing smell, seemed to make him sick. "I've grown up with them. I can't...I can't eat them Nico." I rubbed his shoulder.

"It's okay," I said. "Octavian!" I called. The blonde teen scrambled out of the kitchen and bowed to me. "Please can you return Percy's meal? He does not like seafood. Bring him something special from the chef." Octavian took the plate, bowed again, and scrambled away. "I supposed we should've thought of that. I'm sorry." He shook his head as his color came back to normal.

"Most people find it odd that I cannot have sea animals," he said, looking at me. "But you don't seem to care either way." I was very aware of father and Hazel studying us, trying to determine how I'd react to that. I turned to Percy and smiled.

"What is there to worry about, really," I told him. "The best part of growing up in a castle is you have a ton of meals at the ready, am I right?" Percy's food arrived, a plate of chicken over rice and slices of fresh peaches. Percy looked at the food hungrily. We all tucked in, though half-way through I couldn't eat my lobster anymore. I swore he was looking right at me. So Percy handed me peach slices and we enjoyed the quietness of the meal. Octavian returned to clean up the plates, and father's personal servant came out with chocolate cake for dessert.

"Chocolate cake?" Percy asked, looking at me. I shot him a quizzical look.

"Don't see chocolate cake much in Nanuk Mister Percy?" I asked as Ms. Leon cut up the cake. Percy shook his head and grinned at me.

"Not all that often," he replied. "But often enough to recognize it on sight. Chocolate, that's rare in Nanuk. We're not necessarily known for being a rich kingdom." The corners of father's mouth twitched. He must've found Percy amusing. "Thank you," he said to Ms. Leon, who looked a little stunned. We ate in more comfortable silence. So far, it had been a nice brunch.

...

"Now just tuck yourself into a ball," I called out from the ground. Percy was clinging to the railing of my balcony, staring down at me with wide sea-green eyes. I'd already slipped my scepter and my crown into the glass case and changed into brown breeches and a forest green tunic. Easy to tumble in. I'd lugged the landing pad to under my balcony so if Percy didn't time it right he wouldn't hurt himself. He looked down at me uneasily.

"Is this safe?" he asked me, his voice cracking at the end. "This can't be safe." I smirked up at him. I knew how to safely tumble off my balcony when I was five. I spread my arms in a peaceful way.

"I've got you if you stumble," I called to him. "Trust me, I won't let you get hurt. Tuck yourself up tight as you fall, and propel yourself forward as you land. Roll once, then pop up." Percy took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and fell off the railing. He was tucked in tight, and when he hit the pad he rolled forward, springing up at the last second. He teetered for a moment, but I wrapped my arms around his waist and steadied him. "That was really good," I praised. "The first time I did it I forgot to roll. I broke my arm and had to wear a cast for about six weeks." Percy giggled. Now that he was safely on the ground, he appeared much better.

"That was actually really fun," he commented. "You can let go now." I glanced down and blushed fainly. I removed my arms from around his waist. "I see why you like doing that so much. It makes you feel free, doesn't it?" I stared at the castle walls while I debated what to tell him.

"Free?" I asked, sitting against the wall. He sat beside me, listening intently. Also unlike other princes. We all tried to talk over each other with story after story. "I guess you could say that," I said at last. I reached back and tapped the bricks. "I've grown up here, inside the confines of the castle, all my life. I don't know what 'free' really is. But I image the feeling is something along the lines of falling from my balcony."

"It is," Percy said. "Mother has never told me to stay inside the castle. As her only son, she lets me do whatever. But within reason. So I go explore the town, the woods, pretty much wherever within view of the castle. It's satisfying, being able to come and go as you please." I sighed wistfully and leaned against the wall, closing my eyes. I couldn't even fathom what that would be like. Being able to come and go as I pleased? That was unheard of here. Especially after mother died. Father kept us on a short leash. "Maybe you could come visit me some time?" Percy said. "If your father will let you."

"After the upcoming wedding," I said bitterly. "You can meet my new bride. Percy, I don't want to get married. Not like this. Hell, my kingdom doesn't even know I'm gay. How can I tell them that, then show off my husband, all before taking the throne from my father? I can't do that to my people..."

"But if they were the devoted people they claimed to be, they wouldn't care one way or another if you were gay. They'd support you because you're you." I sighed.

"It's not that simple," I said, staring at the outer wall and the drawbridge. "The people...they do not like change. They were rattled when mother died and father tried to rule by himself. Even more so after he told them he was stepping down and giving the role to me. I'm the male heir. I have expectations to live up to." Percy remained quiet for a long time. Finally, he scooted closer, rested his head on my shoulder, and twined his fingers with mine. His hands were rough, which surprised me.

"Well, I don't care," he said. "You'll make a great ruler, whether you take a husband or a bride. Nanuk supports you, whatever you decide." I smiled at Percy. I'd found myself quite the man.

...

Percy's POV

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"Sorry I'm late mother!" I called, running into the shop and hiding my suit behind a big barrell of flour. I tied my apron around my waist and picked up the big basket. Mom came in from the little kitchen in the back of the shop and loaded the basket full of bread and pastries. "How many deliveries today?" I asked her, tying the grains down with a small length of rope.

"Three," she said, handing me a list. "Annabeth and her siblings need the pastry cremes for a small party, and then the loaves of bread are for the Swan sistes." I tucked the list in the pocket of my apron and hefted the basket up onto my shoulder. I pushed my way out of the shop and smiled into the dazzling sun. It was a warm and pleasant day in Grandor Village. I went down the paved walkway to Annabeth's house. I rapped on the door, and she answered, smiling.

"Hello Percy," she said. "Please come in." Annabeth's mother was gone all the time, and Annabeth's father worked as a historian downtown, so Annabeth was left to take care of her twin brothers. Matthew and Bobby. The eight year old twins came running from the backyard and stopped short when they saw me.  
"Percy!" Bobby said, running over to me. I smiled down at him and gave him one of the packages of pastry cremes. He giggled and ran into the kitchen with it, Matthew hot on his heels. I gave the other four packages of them to Annabeth, and she handed me twenty dollars. We sold no matter how poor the family might be. Annabeth was a nice girl, a smart girl.

"I would love to stay Annie," I said to her. "But I have more deliveries to make. I hope the party goes well!" I waved over my shoulder as I left her house. A couple of more blocks and I arrived at the Swan sisters' house. I rang the doorbell, and five minutes later left with only three loaves of bread and twenty more dollars. I pulled out the list and checked my last delivery. Mother simply said to hand them out at the park, to the very poor families. I smiled. My mother was always thoughtful. I went down the little park next to the laundry shop and sat down on the bench. Mrs. Valdez came up to me, little Leo trailing behind her, sucking his thumb. Mrs. Valdez was raped when she was eighteen, and Leo was the result. She loved the little guy, but she couldn't afford to pay for everything.

"Hello Percy," she said. Leo crawled onto my lap and began playing with my leather necklace. I smiled and ruffled his curly hair. "May we?" she began. I wrapped a loaf of bread in a piece of cloth and handed it to her.

"Of course," I said. "Mother made extra on purpose. Now, you and Leo can eat right." Leo gave me a gap-toothed smile and moved the beads on my necklace around. Leo was five now. He sure was getting big. "Hello," I called out to a group of children.

"Percy!" one called back, running over to me. He couldn't have been more than six years old. It was Frank. "Do you have extra bread today?" he asked, peering into my basket. "Mama needs bread, but the mean banker took all her money." I wrapped another loaf of bread and handed it to him. "Thanks Percy. You're the best!" he said, scampering off. Mrs. Valdez coaxed Leo off my lap and they left. I sought out the last person I knew. I knocked on the side of the wooden crate. Malcolm crawled out, and his eyes lit up when he saw the loaf of bread I was handing him.

"Thank you so much," he said. "You and your mother sure are nice." I smiled at him. That was my mother. Always thinking of others. I made my way back to the shop, hanging my apron on a hoook.

"How did it go?" mother asked, coming out from the kitchen. She had flour on her nose and in her hair. I laughed.

"No problems," I said, putting the money in the cash register. "The bank toook all of Frank's mother's money, so Frank came and got bread. Mrs. Valdez was walking with Leo, and they got some. And I took the last of the bread to Malcolm. I hope that's okay." She came over and patted my shoulder. We made more than enough money at the bakery, so giving a little extra was never and issue. Besides, I loved the families in the village. I didn't want them to starve, any more than mtoher did. I wiped my hands on my pants and sat down at the counter, picking apart a muffin mother sat in front of me.

"How was your day?" she asked, wiping the counter across from me. I grinned like a mad man.

"It was lovely," I replied. "I got acquainted with a new friend today. He taught me how to tumble off a balcony." Mother gave me a thin-lipped smile.

"Just be careful honey," she said. I laughed.

"He wasn't going to let anything happen to me," I said, smiling at the memory. Nico was fun to be around, but it was sad he never got to be a free spirit. I wished there was a way for him to explore the village. Maybe "Prince" Percy could convince the king that it would be beneficial for Nico to explore the village he would soon rule. After all, to know the people, you had to be the people. But I couldn't afford him finding out I wasn't royality. I was just a lowly peasant.

...

Well, you got to see a little bit of the non-royal Percy. He is loved by the children of Grandor Village, and you can see why. I thought it would be just like Sally and Percy to give away some extra bread to the poor people of the village.


	3. Chapter 3-I Love You

So, this one got longer, lol. I've been getting a ton of ideas from my friends here in town, and the ideas will come into play later. Right now, it's just fluff and bonding. The real drama is yet to come.

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Nico's POV

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I missed Percy already, and it was only a couple hours after he left. I tumbled off my balcony more times than I could count, but now that I had someone to do it with, it wasn't as fun. So I climbed the watch tower and stared off into the distance. I saw the expansive forest, Grandor Village, and, far in the distance, the glittering blue of the ocean. I sighed. I would never get to experience those things up close. And the view was making me sad. So I got down from the watch tower, picked up my ball, and threw it, as hard as I could, against the castle wall. I bounced it for awhile, then just sat against the wall and closed my eyes.

"Are you going to tell father?" I opened my eyes to find Hazel hovering over me. Jason was standing a few feet behind her, looking bored as usual. Why she invited him over this late in the afternoon, I had no idea. Maybe he was going to have dinner with us and stay to chit chat. I sighed heavily and shook my head.

"Soon," I said to her "I just...have to wait for the right time." That was a lie of course. Father would always sit down and talk to us if we needed it. I gazed over her shoulder and noticed the guards stopping someone at the gate. "Patrick, Mitchell, let whoever it is through!" I called. Percy stumbled in, glared at the guards, and strutted over to me. He sat down beside me, and it seemed the whole world got a little brighter. He smiled at me. "Hello Percy," I said, resting my head on top of his head. "What are you doing back?" I asked him.

"How long till dinner?" he replied instead. "Three hours? Good. Come with me." He got up, hefted me to my feet, and led the way inside the castle. I studied him with new interest. I wondered what he had planned. Something more exciting than sitting around my room, I hoped. "Your father?" he asked. I motioned to the throne room, and he dragged me there. "King Hades," he said. My father looked up from his paperwork.

"Percy," he said, his tone suggesting he was anything but happy to see my new friend. My insides boiled. Why couldn't he just accept my new friends? "What are you doing here? I'm very busy."

"I was wondering if Nico could come down to Grandor Village with me," he said. "After all, Nico's grown up here. He needs to see his people first hand if he's going to be king in less than a week." Father seemed to consider what Percy said. "My mother and father let me explore Nanuk," he added. "When I become king, I have a good idea of what my people want."

"If it will get you boys out of my hair so I can finish this paperwork, then by all means, go on," father said, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "But be back for dinner, both of you. Percy, since Nanuk is pretty far away, you should just stay in the castle overnight." My heart began doing summersaults in my chest. Percy was going to be staying at our castle for the night? Now father really was trying to tempt me. But Percy was grinning and tugging on the sleeve of my tunic. So I didn't have much time to think about it. Percy and I were going to explore the village!

"Thank you for convincing him to let me go," I said to him as we walked the path to the Grandor Village. I gaed around in wonder at the trees and underbrush. Forest animals scampered onto the path from time to time, regarding Percy and myself. Percy seemed at ease in the forest, with all its strange sights and sounds. Then again, he'd grown up being able to roam. "How often do you do this kind of thing?" I asked.

"All the time," he said, a small smile of his own beginning to form. "There's something freeing about being able to come and go as you please." The village suddenly loomed in front of us, as if someone had hacked away at the forest and built a village. It was small as far as villages went, but it was cloest to the castle, and it was a quaint little village. I saw children running through the paved streets, chasing each other and other children on bikes. I saw mothers and fathers walking down the streets, holding hands with children and laughing at each other. I heard the faint honks of cars and the ringing bells of bicycles. I smelled freshly baked bread and the sweet aroma of flowers.

"This is amazing," I said, gazing around at the white-washed houses. Percy grinned and pulled me into a park. We sat down on a bench and watched the children play. Percy smoothed the wrinkles of his suit down and put his head on my shoulder. We watched the children of the park swing and slide and scream at each other in gleeful excitement. I noticed a few wore something that looked like rags for clothing.

"Why are those children clothed so?" I asked Percy, looking down at him. He bit his lower lip and watched them in silence for awhile.

"They must be poor," he said. "Every village has poor families. I'm assuming those are some of the children." I watched them with growing sadness. No family should be poor under my father's watchful eye. We had more than enough riches. Surely we could fund to help them? That's when I noticed an older woman coming into the park, carrying a basket of muffins and pastries. The poor children flocked her, each reaching out little hands. She smiled and handed out muffins and pastires to them, making idle chit chat with some of the parents as the wandered over to see their kids. A nice lady with a little boy came over to her, and the boy crawled onto her lap. She gave him a big smile and two muffins, and he looked like he just won all the riches in the kingdom. I noticed Percy was smiling at them. "It's good that you have people like that in your kingdom," he said to me, looking up at me.

"I wish we had more people like her," I said, watching her rise, picking up the now empty basket. She'd handed out all of the muffins and pastries already. "When I'm king, I'm going to do something about this," I said. Percy sighed a little wistfully.

"That would be nice," he said. "That way people like her don't have to do that constantly. We have a couple of people that do that in Nanuk too," he added, looking up at me. "Sad, isn't it?" he said with another sigh. "I wish there was something we could do." I had a flash of genius then. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him.

"You little genius prince," I said. "Come to the castle with me. I have an idea."

...

Two hours later, and we had a large stack of clothes in the park. It was some of father's old things, Hazel's old things, and my old things. Some of the less finer things, as to not give away my identity yet. No one had recognized me so far, and I planned to keep it that way. Another half hour, and we had no clothes left. Everyone was grateful for the new clothes, and since we had so many sizes, we could cater to everyone. The lady I saw with the little boy, who informed me his name was Leo, got enough new clothes to keep the little guy clothed for a week. Leo looked so happy, his heart looked ready to burst.

"Woo!" I said, collapsing back on the bench. Percy curled up on my lap and smiled up at me. "We did a good thing today Percy," I said. "Look at how happy everyone is." I gazed around as everyone loaded their new clothes up to take home with them. The lady who gave out the muffins was smiling at us both, though her smile was a little troubled. It looked like she might recognize me. I wasn't necessarily good at blending in. "Let's go back to the castle and get cleaned up," I said. I picked him up and carried him out of the village. He giggled and gently pummled my chest as we left, and when we got to the forst, I set hm down. But I took his hand in mine, and he gave me a shy smile. We walked hand in hand until we reached the castle. At that point, I let it go. But I was feeling a little deflated about it. I liked the feeling of his hand in mine. "You can use the guest washroom," I said, motioning down the hall. He went that way, closing the door behind him. I went to my own private bath.

"Nico?" father called, knocking on the door as I stepped out of my shower. I dried my hair with a towel and slipped on some comfortable clothing. I stepped out of my bath and shut the door softly behind me. "Did you have a good day?" father asked.

"It was amazing," I said. "The forest is so pretty. And Grandor Village is bustling with people. Percy really knows his way around. He directed us to this little park where we got to watch children play." Father frowned at me.

"Don't be growing too attached to your new friend," he said to me. I glared at him. "Now Nico, you know you need to be looking for a bride. Having a new friend is wonderful, but tomorrow, I want you to say goodbye to Percy and look for some females in the surrounding kingdoms." My insides began to boil again.

"How about Percy helps me with that," I said through gritted teeth. "It's not necessarily uncommon for princes to look for princess to court together. Double dating is safer than single dating anyway." Father seemed to consider that.

"Alright," he said at last. "One week. That is how long he is able to stay. After that, he must go home so we can begin getting you and your bride ready to take over." I swallowed down my rage just as Percy let himself into my room, a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Hey Nico, may I?" He stopped abruptly when he saw my father "Oh, uh, hello, King Hades," he said, bowing. His towel slipped off, and father and I both turned tomato red. I glanced away as Percy struggled to retie the towel around his waist. "I am so sorry," he apologized. Father shook his head and cleared his throat.

"You..." he began, but then he seemed to think better of it. "Nico, clothe the boy," he said, jerking a thumb at Percy. "Dinner is in ten minutes." He whisked away, and Percy sank down on my bed, shaking his head. I tossed him some bed clothes, and he accepted them gratefully. He disappeared behind my curtain to change. I sat down on my bed to wait for him.

"I am very sorry about that," he said, coming over to me. My clothes hung off him, and he kept having to pull the pants up, but he looked happy. Or, happier. "I did not expect your father to be in here with you."

"That makes two of us," I replied, chuckling softly. "By the way, you are supposed to help me find a bride." Percy glanced away, and I swore I could see tears forming in his eyes. "Hey," I said, gently turning his head so he was looking at me again. "I hope you know that I don't actually want to marry a girl."

"Oh?" he asked. "Oh, right. Well, who do you want to marry?"

"You," I replied, simple and quick. And it was the truth. I'd never really acknowledged it before, but I actually wanted to marrry the prince I'd only known a few days. Percy blushed. I took his hand in mine and rubbed the back of his hand gently. He smiled timidly at me. "I want to marry you," I whispered in his ear. "I want it more than I've wanted anything. I wish so bad there was a way to make it work."

"If you want to get married, why not have a secret wedding," he whispered back. "No one has to know other than us and the priest." I thought about it for awhile. And the more I thought about it, the more appealing it seemed.

"But what about my real wedding?" I asked. I began tracing patterns on Percy's arms. "I don't want a secret wedding. I want a real wedding, where we invite everyone from the surrounding kingdoms to come. I don't want to hide you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Why would I hide it? I want to whole world to know I'm in love."

"In love?" Percy asked. I laughed.

"Yes Percy," I said, tilting his head up and softly kissing him. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said. I tugged him down gently, and we laid tangled in each other's arms until father yelled at us it was dinner time.

...

Shorter, but not by much. That was adorable.


	4. Chapter 4-Bride Hunt Day 1

It's been long enough. Now, if I accidently type song lyrics, I apologize. I'm singing and typing at the same time, and it's tricky.

…

Nico's POV

…

I woke up early the next morning, and nearly leaped out of my skin when someone shifted beside me. It took me a minute to realize that I still had a guest over. Another second to remember that today was the first time I would travel to other kingdoms and look for a bride. That fact had me scowling as I climbed out of bed and selected an outfit for travel. A pair of black dress pants and an ornate black and silver tunic. I draped a short traveler's cloak over my shoulders and packed some things for the trip. It was a couple hours ride to the kingdom next to Ridgeway, and I wanted to be prepared. I went over to the bed and gently shook Percy's shoulders.

"Um, muf," he mumbled as he rolled to face me. "Five more minutes mother." I chuckled. Then I shook his shoulders again. "Mother," Percy complained, rising and opening his eyes. "Oh, Nico. Morning." He tried to act nonchalant, but I could tell he was embarrassed.

"Morning Percy," I replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "We have to get going soon, so you might want to get up and get moving." Groaning, Percy hauled himself to his feet and swayed for a bit until he woke up better. I tossed him travel clothes, and he disappeared behind my curtain to change. I unlocked my glass case and removed my walking cane and crown. Meetings like this required my crown, unfortunately. Percy came out dressed in navy blue. "You still don't have a crown," I pointed out, waving my cane around. "What shall we do about that?" Percy shrugged helplessly. "What are your main exports of Nanuk?" Percy tilted his head to the side.

"Sea animals," he said with a laugh. "Fish. Silver I think." I tapped my chin. Hazel had plenty of silver tiaras, but I didn't think he'd appreciate wearing something that only princesses wore.

"We have tiaras," I ventured. Percy wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, I know. But it's all we have. Father and I only have one crown. But Hazel has a ton of tiaras at the ready. Come." I tugged a reluctant Percy down the hall to Hazel's room. I pounded on her door. "Hazel, open up!" I called. Soon enough, she swung the door open. "Hey sis. We need something to put on Percy's head." She studied him for awhile.

"Wait a second," she said, disappearing back into her room. Percy and I stood in the hall and gazed everywhere but at each other. Finally, Hazel came back. She presented one of her tiaras to Percy, then placed it on his head. It was silver, and it looked a little bit like a crown. All around it were blue diamonds. Percy glanced up and patted the tiara. "He looks…cute," Hazel decided. I smiled and ruffled his hair.

"He does," I said. "Like a pretty princess." He turned to glare at me, and I laughed. "Alright Princess Percy, we best leave now. We have a long ride ahead of us." Hazel smiled as I escorted Percy down to the front gate. Father ordered the carriage around front, and our driver, Elliot, greeted Percy and I as we climbed in.

"Hello sires," Elliot said, bowing. "Where to first Nico?" I pulled my maps and charts out of my pack and studied them. I pointed to a small kingdom near Ridgeway.

"Moro," I said. "Might as well start close to home." Elliot bowed again and climbed into the driver's seat, urging the horses on. I sat back and listened to the horse' hooves hit the cobblestones. Percy settled less than comfortably next to me. I glanced at him through slitted eyes. He appeared uncomfortable in the confines of the carriage. And every time we hit a bump in the road, his face grew whiter. It was obvious it was his first time in a carriage. So, the big question was, how did he get to the gala if he didn't come on horseback or in a carriage. After the fifth or sixth bump, I reached across the seat and took his hand in mine. He glanced anxiously, every muscle on his body tense. "Relax," I whispered. "How about we play a game." He nodded, but he certainly did not relax. Sighing, I reached into my pack and pulled out a notebook and a couple of pencils. I scratched a tic-tac-toe board on the paper in a series of rapid pencil strokes, then I handed one of the pencils to him. He took it, keeping one hand on the back seat. He peered at the notebook and started us off. Five seconds later, I drew a line through my three X's.

"Fun," Percy gritted out. He still looked a little petrified. This was the prince (or princess right now) how explored forests and villages and tumbled off my balcony. And he was scared of a carriage? Something about that didn't add up, but I decided not to say anything to him. He was most likely already feeling bad, I didn't need to make matters worse. Instead, I got out my notes about Moro and its rulers.

"Looks like they have a son and a daughter," I said to Percy. "The son is older than both of us. He's twenty. He'll be taking over soon. His name is Frank." Percy looked at my notes too. He squinted like he thought he recognized something. Then he shook his head and waited for me to finish explaining. "The daughter's name is Reyna," I said. "Reyna is sixteen and ready to be wed off." I wrinkled my nose. "Sorry to disappoint you Reyna, but I'm not really interested." I set my notes aside and got out some from Halbas, the kingdom after Moro. "Halbas has a few sub-kingdoms," I said, looking at Percy. Ever since we'd begun looking at notes, he'd slowly begun to relax. Now, he didn't have a death grip on the seat. "With a few princesses to choose from." I looked up at him. "Though I already have my princess." He scowled and tore the tiara off his head.

"I don't know if I actually need this thing, or if you're just trying to pull my leg," he mumbled, setting the tiara aside. I picked it up and gently placed it back on his head. He looked at me with wide green eyes. "I have to wear it?" he asked.

"Afraid so," I replied apologetically. "On diplomatic meetings or formal events, princes are required to wear crowns. I thought you knew that?" Percy flushed.

"Of…of course," he stammered. "I just don't want to wear the tiara. It's degrading and embarrassing." I gripped his upper arm until he looked at me.

"I really am sorry about the tiara," I said. He sighed and ducked his head, and his tiara slid off. I caught it before it could hit the floor. "Here," I said. I fished some pins out of my pocket and proceeded to pin the tiara to his head. "There," I said when the last one was in place. "You know, you really don't look that bad," I whispered, kissing his cheek. "Blue suits you." He glanced up. Honestly, he didn't look that bad. It's not like the tiara was a girly one. I could've asked Hazel to give him one of her gold ones with the pink gems and customary rubies. But Hazel had good judgment, and since the tiara came up in points at regular intervals, it looked like a crown. It even went so far as to have the high points halfway to the back, where it thinned out into the silver band. I switched seats so we were sitting side by side, and he gave me a shy smile. I wrapped an arm loosely around his waist and pulled him close.

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better," he murmured after a little while, tracing the patterns on my tunic. His voice was sleep-laden, and I couldn't blame him. We'd risen early for our trip, and we still had about an hour and a half to go. I gripped him a little tighter and he rested his head on my shoulder, still tracing the patterns on my tunic. It was rhythmic if not slow. It gradually began to slow in pace, and soon it stopped altogether. Percy was asleep. I smoothed down what black hair I could find and kissed his forehead.

"Sweet dreams Percy," I whispered. I then settled back for a long and quiet ride to Moro.

…

Percy's POV

…

"Percy, we're here." I blinked, and was greeted with Nico's smiling face. "Hey sleepyhead," he said, kissing my forehead. "We're at Castle Moro. Time to head inside and meet Frank and Reyna." I rubbed my eyes. I was still tired. "I know, I know," he cooed. "Come on Perce. Wake up." I mumbled something and tumbled out of the carriage before him. He took my arm and led me up to the castle. Other than Castle Grandor, this was the first castle I'd really seen. I gazed up at the tall towers and high walls. Everything had a red tinge to it. "Castle Moro is made of stone bricks with lots of iron in them," Nico said. He was a like a little fact book. "That's why they're red. But that's just the outer walls, It's inside the castle you really want to see."

"For a guy who doesn't get out much, you sure know a lot of facts about this place," I teased. He smirked at me. He might've been excited to see this place, but I was quite nervous. Nico and Hazel and King Hades were the first royal people I'd really had interaction with. Frank, Reyna, and their parents were only the second. Nico seemed to sense my discomfort, because after the guards let us in and weren't paying attention to us anymore, he wrapped his arms around my waist and squeezed gently.

"It's going to be okay," he said. "Really, you're here for moral support. It is I who has to find a suitable bride." He sighed. "And I must, in six days, or father turns control of the kingdom over to my sister. We can't have that, can we?"

"Would it be a bad thing?" I questioned. "After all, if she had control, you wouldn't have to hide who you are and lie to the whole kingdom. You don't want a bride; you want a husband." Nico put a finger to my lips.

"Don't say that to loud," he warned me. "Now, it's time to go meet my possible future bride." Once again, he led the way inside. King Mars and Queen Emily greeted us, and if they suspected something was up by two princes walking in arm in arm, they didn't say.

"Hello, hello," Emily said, shaking our hands. "Frank and Reyna shall be down in just a second." As if on cue, a tall, mountain of a prince and a small, not-so-dainty princess came down the spiral stair case. The prince gave us a once over and shrugged.

"Hello Prince Nico," the other prince, Frank (the name just came to me), said bowing. "And hello…" He trailed off, looking at me. "Uh, princess?" Nico rolled his eyes.

"Frank, this is Prince Percy of Nanuk," he said, placing a hand on my back. "He's tagging along with me as I visit the surrounding kingdoms. And yes, we are very aware he's wearing a tiara." Frank shut his mouth, looked suitably chastened. "He left his crown in Nanuk when he came to the gala, and Hazel let him borrow one of her tiaras." Frank looked like he was trying really hard not to smile. I reached up and self-consciously touched my new tiara/crown. Why did everyone have to comment on it? I knew it made me look silly. And it was, in fact, meant for a girl and not for a boy.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Percy," Frank said at last. Nico went off to talk quietly with Reyna, leaving me to talk with Frank. The guy was easily the biggest boy I'd ever seen, even if he wasn't much a boy. "So," Frank began. "You don't seem like much a prince." My stomach heaved. How could he possibly know? I hadn't told anyone. "Look, no prince would willingly wear a tiara if he could help it," Frank said, leading me aside. "It's degrading."

"I told Nico that," I interrupted. "But he insisted I wear it. I swear, he just likes watching me suffer." Frank cracked a tiny smile. "He even pinned it to my hair so it wouldn't slide around." I patted it, wincing. I didn't like it. I didn't like the feel of this metal thing pinned to my head. I missed my knitted cap, but I wouldn't be able to retrieve it without tipping Nico off. Then I most definitely wouldn't be invited back. I unpinned it and set it aside. I couldn't forget it, but for now, I didn't have to wear it. Frank and I were having an informal discussion.

"Look, I don't blame you for removing it," he said, motioning to the tiara. "But that isn't the only thing that tips you off as not being royalty. You're obviously uncomfortable in those clothes of yours." I reluctantly nodded. There were of a material I was not familiar with, and while it was nice, the easy flow of it made it feel a little too roomy, especially considering Nico was at least two sizes bigger than me, and this was his outfit. "I take it Nico doesn't know of your history?" Frank asked, crossing his arms. I gulped.

"No," I said. "He doesn't. I will tell him. Just…not this far away from Grandor. My home is there, in Grandor Village." The words were just flowing out now, soft and steady. The king and queen were not paying us any attention. Their focus was on their daughter and Nico. "My mother owns the bakery there. Sometimes, we hand out extra food to the poor. And some days, mother just closes the shop entirely and bakes enough goodies so all the poor children can eat. I love my home, don't get me wrong."

"How'd you manage to sneak into the gala?" Frank asked. I snuck a look at Nico. He was busy animating a story, and Reyna laughed and gently touched his arm. He beamed at her, but you'd only notice the fact it was forced if you looked at him hard enough. He wasn't really enjoying himself. He wanted out. He looked up and caught my eye. He winked, then went back to storytelling.

"I wanted to see the prince," I said softly. "So I got a fancy suit and snuck into the gala when no one was paying attention. I almost got caught, but Nico whisked me away before anyone else could take a close look at me. Lucky break for me I guess. I think he secretly suspects I'm not of royal blood, but it hardly seems to bother him." Once again, he looked my way. This time he was almost pleading. He wanted out, now. He wasn't having fun any longer. I strutted over and stood beside Reyna, quietly observing him. He spun around to talk to everyone all at once, but his gaze rested on me a little longer. I had a sudden idea to get us out of here. I clutched my stomach and doubled over, groaning pitifully. Nico was at my side in an instant.

"Are you okay Percy?" he asked, kneeling beside me. When we were face to face, I winked at him. A slow smile spread across his face, only to vanish. "I'm going to take that as a no." He turned and spread his hands in front of him. "I'm sorry King Mars, Queen Emily. It seems like Percy is coming down with something. We best be taking off. I do apologize. Reyna, I will most definitely be in touch." I let him sweep me outside the castle and through the gates. The guards mumbled a farewell as Nico helped me into the carriage. "That, Percy, was sheer genius. Great fast thinking on your part. A valid excuse to leave without sounding rude." I grinned.

"Oh, mother always used that excuse when she wanted to leave in a hurry," I replied. "We normally rehearsed it ahead of time, but I could sense you wanted out of there that second, so, improvisation." We were sitting so close our shoulders touched, and Nico kept grinning that goofy grin. "What?" I asked with a nervous laugh. Nico slipped his hand behind my head and softly kissed me.

"Has anyone ever told you you're the best thing ever?" he asked when he pulled away. "Because you are. Like, seriously. If it had been just me there, I would've gotten out at sundown, if that." He circled his arms around me and held me close. I rested my head on his chest. "By the way, you almost forgot this." I looked up, and he dangled the tiara in front of me. "Can't have my little princess forgetting her tiara." He kissed me again.

"I really think you should just tell your father," I said when he pulled away. "If he loves you, he'll understand. He'd want you to be happy. And you could never be happy with someone like Reyna. She's great, don't get me wrong, but she isn't what you want." He sighed.

"When did you get wise?" he asked, resting his head on top of mine. Our carriage lurched forward, ready to take us to Halbas. But all the while, I couldn't help my thoughts from wandering. If Frank saw through my disguise that easily, how much did Nico know?

…

Well, I would say that is a successful day bride hunting. Or what they could do.


End file.
